The Magic of Christmas

The Magic of Christmas

Spreading Holiday Cheer

Spreading Holiday Cheer

The Keith Family; El Dorado Hills, California

Tradition: Thanking neighbors for their awesome decorations

When Gaelyn Keith, 58, was a child, her parents would write thank-you notes to neighbors for their Christmas decorations—a tradition started by her great-grandfather. Five generations later, Gaelyn’s grandkids are keeping the custom alive with the help of Gaelyn and her daughters, Michelle, 35, and Tiffeny, 33. “When my girls were little we’d order a pizza and sit down with a box of Christmas cards to write our thank-yous,” she says. Then Gaelyn, her husband, Randy, and the kids would all pile into the car and cruise around their neighborhood looking for the most magnificently decked-out homes. Whenever Michelle or Tiffeny spotted holiday decorations that wowed them, their parents stopped the car so the girls could ring the doorbell and hand out a card.

Now, all these years later, Gaelyn still gets a giddy feeling as soon as she sees festive lights adorning houses, Santa and his reindeer sitting on rooftops, and winter wonderlands on front lawns. She knows it’s time to invite her kids and grandkids over for pizza and another trip through town. “The kids love it and people are always amazed when they get our cards,” says Gaelyn. “Last year, I got a big surprise when someone actually gave me a card saying how much she liked our decorations. I guess the tradition has come full circle.”